Wichita eagle., 1887-08-18
ANOTHER CHAfSWORTH DISASTER
AVERTED BY A NEGRO WO-
MANS PLUCK.
Fro m the Ii uisville Courier Jou rnal.

Fro m the Ii uisville Courier journal.
News of what but for timely interven-
| ton might have been an accident similar
to the terrible wreck at Chatsworth ILL.,, ,
on Thursday morning was brought to this
city yesterday morning by some travellers
At about the same hour that the dreadful
calamity occurred at Chatsworth, Amanda
Barker an aged negress, was walking along
the track of the Cincinnati, Hamilton 81
Indianapolis road, near Glenwood, Ind, on
her way to farm house. where she was to
work during the day She had just passed
the small station at Glenwood, which is a
| lonely, dismal spot between Indian
apolis and Connersville, frequented
only occasionally by the farmers
living around, when on turning a sharp
curve in the road. she was Mortified tn see
some distance ahead the smouldering re-
mains of what had, short while before,
been a stout, substantial bridge connecting
embankments $40 feet apart, and spanning
chasm 80 feet deep. The bridge had
evidently been burning during the entire
night for the superstructure was entirely
eaten away by the fire, and only few
weak timbers and the three stone piers
were left to tell the tale.
The old negress could not collect herself
for several moments, but 1t suddenly
dawned upon her that train generally
passed that point some time in the early
morning. She had no idea what time it
was or when the train was due, but
she knew that it was fast one
and never stopped at Glenwood
She turned her steps backward.
intending to flag the train
at the station, but had gone scarcely a
hundred yards when she heard the sErill
scream of the whistle, as she thought, di-
rectly ahead Of her. 1t was the east bound
lightning express due at Glenwood at 5:45
o'clock. She tried as hard as she could to
get around the bend which Obstructed the
train from view, all the time tearing and
tugging away at an old brown apron she
wore, which she wanted to use as signal
flag. Stumbling and falling she was kept
back considerably, but she finally broke
the apron strings which never seemed 50
tightly tied before and almost dropped to
the earth with sheer exhaustion, she round
d the bend and saw the train laundering
down upon her only a few hundred
feet ahead. The burning bridge was
about the same distance behind
her, and she knew that
to let the train pass meant certain death to
many of the souls on board Raising the
improvised flag high above her head she
forgot her exhaustion, and waved 1t fran
tically, standing in the center of the track
where her presence could not be unnoticed.
For a while 1t seemed that no one saw her,
but she kept her position, determined TO
stop the train or die on the track.
At last the engineer saw her and reversed
his engine, bringing 1t to standstill few
yards in front of the old woman.
Leaning out of the cab window, and
thinking the old negress drunk or crazy, he
called out:
We'll well; what Is it,
For Gods sake, mister she answered,
don't go any further The bridge Is
burned down. and 1t Is right in from, Of
you; indeed 1t is.
The train men hsd by this time been
attracted by the stoppsge at this eut-of-the
way place to the front Of the train. and
from the sincerity Of the old woman
believed her story A number of them
followed her around the bend, and there
verified the truth OF her statement.
All of the passengers were around the
spot In a short while, and when they saw
how narrow their escape had been they
could scarcely speak. A large purse wss
made up for their beuefsctress, but she
positively refused TO take sny money, and
said she was too happy TO touch ANYTHING:
that money would only make her feel
bad again. When everyone On the
train was congratulsting themselves
on their escape, the old negress became -
happy that she burst into tears. and was
so joyful for while thst she Rugged sew
eral Of the ladies and gentlemen and dare
Cd sc oldfashio8ed Jig. No one intsrfered
with her In her hilsrity. and when one OF
the ladies noticed the apron she still carried
In her hand. and how il Was torn and ruin
Cd. she produced from her ss;chel In the
car lawn wrapper and begged The old
negress, who WAS model Of neatness. 20
wear IL She accepted the dress, and when
the passengers saw ste would take this
kind Of Gift. garments Of al kinds. sizes
and shapes were shoxered upon hsr by the
grateful passengers. snd she seemed more
pleased thsu II she had been the first lsdy
in the land